


Little Talks

by Lilithee



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward People, Bartender AU, Bartender Levi Ackerman, F/M, Fluff, Sassy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:35:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29804406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilithee/pseuds/Lilithee
Summary: Between glasses of cheap alcohol and good listeners flows the best connections.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heya! I'm posting these on my tumblr, hope you enjoy!

“ _What the fuck is this?”_ You asked, the fire shining behind your eyes as you analyzed the elegant cup in front of you.

“A mimosa” said the bartender as he cleaned the counter with his used handkerchief, not even bothering to look up to meet your gaze. “Are you _blind?”_

“I know what a _fucking_ mimosa is” you rolled your eyes and leaned back on the barstool, sighing loudly to make your unpleasantness noticeable. “What I _don’t_ know is _why_ you served me one of these when I asked for shots.”

The man now rolled his own eyes, looking from under his furrowed brows only to mock you with his unfazed expression.

“Because it’s 3PM. Are you that irresponsible?”

You set your elbows on the counter and rested your chin between your palms, as annoyed as ever. _Yeah, so what?_ You wanted to drink at 3PM, what’s the big deal? It’s not like you had a problem or you felt like dropping dead by the evening, but sometimes life just treasured you with _great_ moments, for example, your boss giving the promotion you wanted to that dude you hated, or the flooding you had this morning in your kitchen, and _the biggest one yet,_ finding your boyfriend with another woman on your _own bed._

“Listen” you leaned in now, feeling angrier the longer the fucking mimosa stood in front of you “—I don’t need advice, I need _shots. God,_ where’s Jean?”

Looking around, you tried to find your usual bartender, but he was nowhere in sight. Usually you would come in, hear his bad pick-up lines and get what you wanted to drink — maybe entertain his crazy conspiracies sometimes and gossip. It would normally be after work, but he told you his shifts started at 2PM, so you hoped to find him.

And now you were stuck with the grumpy ass bartender that refused to serve you.

“Not here” he replied, now drying the recently washed glasses.

“No shit, Sherlock.” _Fuck, I need a drink._ “Can I get the shots I paid for?”

“No.”

The man raised his face, eyes falling onto yours in a split second, making you feel weak on the knees. You knew him from the bar, he would always have this expressionless face and you swore that before that day, you have never heard his voice. You also knew his name was Levi and that a lot of people hit on him, but he wouldn’t give them any mind. He was a handsome man, had this fierce look in his clear eyes that expressed a lot but nothing at the same time, plus the dark curtains of his bangs that decorated his undercut.

Yeah, he was hot, but his attitude didn’t help at all.

“Aren’t you supposed to be nice?” you teased, sighing once more.

“I’m not supposed to be anything.” He returned to cleaning the glasses and looked away from your face. “Your drink is getting watery.”

Clicking your tongue, you grabbed the long glass and drank from it, taking the small piece of orange resting on the rim between your fingers. You put it between your lips and sucked on it to drink its juice, looking up just for a second to realize that the man was staring back. You felt a blush creep onto your cheeks and looked away and he did the same thing.

“So… do you know where’s Jean?” you tried to avoid the awkward moment that just happened.

“He called in sick” Levi replied, putting away the now clean glasses and you took another sip of your drink.

You just nodded and looked around, taking in the atmosphere of the bar. ‘The Scouts’ was an underground place you found out a year ago, when you were celebrating Mikasa’s birthday. Sasha brought you all there and you drank until you were all puking on the streets and walking back home trying not to step on any hole on the sidewalk, giggling and failing miserably to keep steady on your feet. After that you just came regularly since it was close to your apartment and cheaper than most places around.

The old jukebox was playing some song by U2 and there were only other three people around, a couple that looked like they were having their first date and an old man sitting by himself, surrounded by a fort of beer bottles. Behind the counter was only Levi; you knew that the only ones who worked there were him, Jean and another woman you didn’t talk a lot, but she always seemed too energetic.

You finished the mimosa and threw the orange slice inside the glass, pushing it forward to Levi and he crossed his arms.

“Can I get the shots now?” You tried again.

“No.”

“ _Why?”_

“Because I don’t want to deal with your drunk ass.” He rose one of his brows. “Why do you want shots _so bad?”_

Biting your lower lip reluctantly, you looked down to your forearms, playing with the tips of your nails.

“I just have a lot on my place right now” you said. “Trust me, you don’t wanna hear it.”

“Okay” he turned around and went to the drink shelf, adjusting every bottle in their respective place from last night. You knew the bar had just opened, but he was cleaning more than necessary and that intrigued you.

The fact that he didn’t ask for more information offended you. _What the…_ Were you not interesting enough for him to _waste his precious time?!_

You decided to keep going, anyways.

“I found my boyfriend cheating on me last night” you stared at his back now, trying to keep your mind from the bad memories. “ _In my bed.”_

He turned around, still holding the unfazed look, but you could see — _deep, deep down —_ that he seemed kinda… _angry?!_

“What did you do?” The man asked and you smiled to yourself, flashes of the prior night appearing in front of your eyes.

“I threw them out, right away. Butt naked” Levi’s eyes were still half-lidded, but his gaze was being held on you. “And then I set their clothes on fire and threw them out of the window.”

You swore you could see the smallest smirk forming on his thin lips and that made you feel proud of yourself.

“Well deserved.” He said in a low tone, crossing his arms above his chest.

You took a second to stare at his figure, noticing the beige long sleeved shirt hugging his lean but defined muscles. Levi wasn’t tall, at all, but he seemed more intimidating than any other tall man you’ve met before, holding his chin always high. _The fucker is hot,_ you had to admit.

He suddenly moved, going back to the shelf and taking a big green bottle and putting it on the counter. You recognized it as expensive tequila, and your eyes widened a bit, watching as he grabbed two shot glasses between his indicator and middle fingers, setting them in front of you and opening the bottle, serving the alcohol.

“ _Aw,_ did you feel sorry for me?” You teased, resting your cheek on your palm as you watched him pouring the drink.

“Don’t make me change my mind, _brat”_ he rose his glass and you held your lower lip between your teeth as you grabbed your own glass.

“ _Cheers.”_


	2. Chapter 2

“ _Fuck no, I’d rather eat shit and die”_ you slapped your hand on the counter and Jean let out a high-pitched laugh, bringing up another shot glass and the _good_ tequila they held only for employees, earning a ‘ _woo’_ from you.

“I’m just suggesting” he gave you your own glass and you both downed it at the same time, letting out the weirdest faces from the burning sensation going through your throat. “If he was a good fuck, why not go and have some hate sex?”

“ _What the fuck, Jean?!”_ You gave him a frown, pushing the shot glass forward and leaning on top of your arm, looking up to see your bartender getting hammered like you.

You liked those nights when you were one of the last ones remaining in the bar and Jean would drink with you till you both couldn’t remember your own names, and then flirt aimlessly while drinking some shitty margaritas. Sometimes he would let you mix the alcohol, and you would throw ice at each other.

“I’m just saying—” he grabbed the beer bottle beside him and gave it a sip, passing to you next. “—you told me he was an asshole, and hate sex is the _best_ sex. So _why not?!”_

_“He literally cheated on me!”_ You spat, shoving Jean’s shoulder while gulping down the remaining of the beer. “Fuck, open another one.”

“It’s all going on your tab, Kirstein” said the hoarse voice from the other side of the counter, attracting both of your eyes there.

Levi was cleaning the remaining dishes, drying the glasses as he adjusted his black apron and gave you another one of his expressionless stares. You had noticed he started to linger around since last week when you two shared a drink. He wasn’t that bad, he was actually _kinda nice_ , you had to admit. Even though he had this dark aura, he was good company for your late evenings.

“ _Yea, yea, Captain Grumpy-Pants”_ Jean fanned his hand and grabbed another beer from the minifridge, opening it with his teeth.

“ _Jean!”_ You drunkenly leaned your upper body on the countertop, cheeks reddening from the newcomer heat you got from the alcohol.

The raven-haired man just rolled his eyes and disappeared into the back, leaving you two alone with your childish giggles and murmurs.

“I swear, the man is like my grandpa” the bartender said, gulping down the beer and passing it to you. “Why he has been taking late night shifts, I wouldn’t know.”

“What do you mean?” You downed your fair share, coughing a bit from the bitter cold taste.

“He would always leave before 10PM, the latest I’ve seen him around was midnight.” Jean burped and you pushed him jokingly. “ _I’d say he has a crush on you.”_

“ _W-What?”_

You felt your heart thump from the inside of your ears, blushing right away — _but you would blame it on the alcohol._

“ _Nah_ , just fucking with you. The old man wouldn’t sleep with you, you’re nasty” you shoved him again, harder this time and he let out another laugh. “—besides, he has a stick too far up his own ass to get involved with other people.”

Levi came out from the back, now in his casual clothes, wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and black jeans, his apron folded on his arm as he walked to the counter to put away the now clean glasses. You saw him a few times before coming to work, but it would be just for a split second, so you never noticed how his clothes would hug the well-defined muscles. He didn’t seem like the type to be ripped, so you guessed he did a good job in hiding it.

“Hold up” the other bartender held a hand to his stomach, his eyes widening as his expression changed into a pained one. “Yup. Definitely going to puke.”

He rushed to the back, leaving only you and Levi on the counter. The soft country song played in the old jukebox as you laid on the counter once more, watching the shorter man as his hands worked on the clean glasses. You could see the veins that traced back to his arms as his fingers moved quickly, the image now stuck in your mind as you wondered how those palms would feel against your throat, how warm would his breath feel fanning on your face, how…

“You look like shit” he said, startling you to the point you almost fell off the stool. _What the fuck?_

“You don’t look so good either” you bit back now frowning at him.

Levi grabbed one of the glasses and filled it with tap water, putting it right in front of you. You stared at him, confused as he just let out a ‘ _tch’_ and grabbed a handkerchief to dry his hands.

“Sober up.” He commanded, his tone now lower, making something stir inside your belly.

“I don’t feel like sobering up” you retorted, grabbing the glass anyways. “The night is young.”

“It’s 4AM” he rose a brow, staring at you once more. “The bar closed two hours ago.”

You rolled your eyes, gulping down to the last drop and laid your head between your crossed arms above the counter. “Jean and I are _celebrating.”_

“ _What_ exactly?”

“Another Friday!” You gave him a sloppy smile and let out a yawn, earning a concerned look.

The creaky door from the back room opened suddenly, and a stumbly Jean came into the bar, grogginess all over his face while Levi crossed his arms over his — _dare you say, very muscly —_ chest.

“Well, _that_ went bad” the taller man burped and leaned onto the counter like you were, letting out a defeated groan as he did.

“You’re such a lightweight” you joked, and the man groaned once more.

“Fuck off. I’ve been through a lot.”

Levi turned around suddenly, another disappointed ‘ _tch’_ coming out of his mouth as he signaled the backdoor.

“C’mon. I’m taking you two home.”

You and Jean exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, leaving the poor man confused but not short of apathy on his face.

“Sorry shorty” Jean stood straight and put a finger under his chin, “you’re not my type.”

At that point, Levi was pretty much done with both of you as you laughed thoroughly. He slapped Jean’s shoulder and grabbed his wrist, walking to the other side of the counter and grabbing yours also and dragging your drunken bodies to the back entrance. You and the blonde boy were giggling under your breath, thinking the older man wouldn’t notice at all, and he just pretended not to, too tired to deal with that _shit._

“Are we having a threesome?!” Jean tripped on his feet, following the other man as he coughed a bit. “ _Threesome! Threesome! Threesome!”_

“ _Hey!_ I don’t wanna fuck Jean!” You threw him a disgusted gaze as you tried to keep your distance.

“You just wanna fuck _shorty._ He’s boooring.”

You pushed Jean and laughed as he stumbled again, almost falling this time.

Levi rolled his eyes as he dragged you two out of the bar, turning off the lights and locking the door behind you, now letting go of your wrists. You looked around to find the streets empty and the starry sky above you. Everything was quiet, the way you enjoyed your nights, and only two cars were parked, a black BMW and a white sedan you recognized as Jean’s from the times he took you home when you were too drunk. So the other one must’ve belonged to Levi.

“Yo, Y/N, I think it’s not a threesome anymore” Jean leaned in and tried to whisper, but his voice was high enough for Levi to hear “, I’m pretty sure we are getting kidnapped.”

“Shut up, Jean” you rolled eyes at him as you watched the raven-haired man unlock the car and shoved the other one in.

You were standing on his side when he gave you a slight gaze, signaling the inside of the car as you nodded, putting your hand on the top of the door to steady yourself, but as you put one foot inside, your hand slipped, and you were going for a face-in fall.

It was going to be your most disgraceful moment. You had awful times when you fell while drunk — like that one time when you fell from a bridge, diving into the dirty lake near Mikasa’s house and everyone took pictures, making it the icon of your groupchat for months before changing into a picture of Sasha sleeping while hugging a bag of potatoes — but this time, you were going to fall in front of someone you actually fancied, the first person you showed any kind of interest since the fiasco with your ex. It had been almost two months.

A pair of strong hands held your shoulders as your own grabbed the collar of his shirt for stability, holding onto his chest for dear life. You could feel the warmth of his body against your cold fingertips, now daring to look up to find his eyes staring right into your soul. His mouth was slightly parted, just enough for you to fawn over and have a thousand scenarios going through your mind.

_Oh, how you wanted him to just cup your face and close the gap…_

_Wait, what are you thinking?_

A loud snore came from the car, bringing your attention to a sleeping Jean who was splayed all over the backseat, a trail of drool falling off his lips as his feet twitched.

Levi straightened you in place, clearing his throat as he offered you one hand.

“Careful” he whispered as you kept on staring, only to shake your head, dropping out of the state of trance you found yourself in.

You looked down as the man helped you inside, not even daring to meet his gaze after that moment, still feeling your cheeks hotter than your pounding heart. Levi’s hands adjusted the seatbelt around your body, and you tried not to think too much about it as you kept looking forward.

“Don’t throw up” he ordered and you groaned, rolling your eyes as he closed the door.

Watching as the man turned around, you waited until he sat inside and started the car, now feeling dizzier than before to just lean your head on the window, watching as the sky slowly turned into orange, signaling the morning was just around the corner. Suddenly, your lids felt heavier than stone and you started to doze off, the sky now turning black as you closed your eyes. _Just for a second._

You weren’t aware, but Levi kept his gaze on you from the corner of his eye, feeling too intrusive to stare any longer, but too weak to look away. To the naked eye, it was impossible to see, but the sides of his lips curled upwards in a small — _almost inexistent —_ smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**You [18:21PM]:** _idk what to wear, help!!!_

**Mikasa-tu-casa [18:21PM]:** _u dont need to go all fancy, its just us._

**Sash [18:22PM]:** _wdym??? Its my bday bitch, fuck yea go all out. i am wearing my best dress._

**Annes [18:23PM]:** _whats the point if ur gonna throw up all over it_

**Sash [18:23PM]:** _im gonna be hot, that’s the point._

**Mikasa-tu-casa [18:24PM]:** _where are we going again?_

**Sash [18:24PM]:** _that same bar from ur bday, (y/n) suggested it_

**Annes [18:24PM]:** _my friend works there_

**You [18:25PM]:** _ur friend? Jean?_

**Annes [18:25PM]:** _yea, we had chem together last semester. hes rich._

**Sash [18:26PM]:** _ohhh I remember him hes the hot bartender. didnt (y/n) make out w him?_

**You [18:26PM]:** _wtf i did not_

**Mikasa-tu-casa [18:26PM]:** _he was kinda cute_

**Sash [18:27PM]:** _ok im gonna shower_

**Annes [18:27PM]:** _aren’t we gonna meet at 9?_

**Sash [18:28PM]:** _it takes long to look this good also nic is bringing my present and I wanna look good for him_

**You [18:29PM]:** _aww cute_

**Mikasa-tu-casa [18:29PM]:** _just finishing up some work then im getting ready_

**You [18:30PM]:** _are we meeting in the front or are we carpooling?_

**Mikasa-tu-casa [18:30PM]:** _annie said armin was going to pick us up_

**Annes [18:31PM]:** _he is_

**You [18:31PM]:** _see you there then_

[…]

You took a last glance at the mirror, adjusting your hair so not one strand would be out of place. Two sprays of perfume on your neck and inside your tan sweater and you were ready, running your hands through your skirt to eliminate any wrinkles as you sat on the sofa and scrolled through your phone as you waited for your friends to pick you up.

It took longer than usual to get dressed tonight; you wanted to look good. After the drunken rendezvous with Jean and Levi, you felt too ashamed to come back to the bar, but something inside you bubbled in warmth when you thought about how those strong arms held your hazy frame, holding you close and breaths mingling together…

A honk from outside took you away from your thoughts and you shook your head, grabbing your keys and leaving the apartment.

You entered the white car and found Annie and Armin on the front seats, saluting you as you hugged Mikasa that was sitting in the back.

“Where’s Sasha?” you asked and Annie looked over her shoulder.

“She said something about her present taking a little longer, but she’s joining us later” you nodded and hugged your body as you watched the outside run by while Armin drove carefully.

The drive to the bar wasn’t long, but every little second seemed to last ages; heart pounding inside your chest and hands slightly shaking as they hugged your body. Armin and Mikasa were making small talk as you kept on thinking about Levi, and how everything changed the second he touched you. He surely was a handsome man, and you liked how he seemed to care even if it was in his own weird way.

As you arrived, Sasha was already waiting in the front and with her arms open to hug you three. Armin gave the girl a small hug and kissed Annie’s cheek before leaving you girls to enjoy your night. It was Friday, so the place was bubbling with people from the inside out, some smoking outside and some were at the door, drinking from their bottles as they talked about stuff and laughed loudly.

You were fading away slowly from the conversation as the girls talked about multiple stuff, you didn’t want to be like that, but your whole head was full of anxiety and thoughts about the short man, hoping to see those grey eyes and enjoy his presence from afar. Maybe you would even have the chance to apologize for giving him trouble.

Sasha led the way and found you guys an empty booth, sitting by your side as Annie and Mikasa sat in front of you, and your eyes kept wandering around, trying to spot him. You saw Jean, mixing drinks without any skill and the other person behind the counter, hair up in a ponytail and talking using a lot of hand gestures. You didn’t remember their name though; it was something like Zoey?

You offered to get their drinks and excused yourself to the counter, walking slowly as you kept looking around for just a sight of the man, unsuccessfully. Jean seemed to be busy so the other bartender found you and introduced themselves as Hange, getting excited over how the night was buzzing. You noticed how they exchanged some looks with the busy man, but didn’t make too much of it, ordering the first round of shots and beer for you and Mikasa — plus some hot wings for Sasha because you knew she would be hungry.

Hange handed you the beers and said they would get the other things ready for you at the table, so you went back to your friends.

“Hey, (y/n)” Sasha snapped her fingers in front of you and let out a small chuckle. “What’s up with you?”

“Huh?” You shook your head slightly, gripping the sleeves of your top in your palms. “Uh, nothing, just looking around.”

“More like looking for someone” Annie observed, keeping her hands in front of her mouth as she talked.

“Ohh, is it the hot bartender?” Sasha leaned on the table, watching your face closely.

“Jean or Levi?” Mikasa asked, letting out a small yawn.

_Wait, what?_

“How do you know Levi?” you frowned as Annie excused herself to go to the bathroom.

“You mean my _cousin,_ Levi?” she crossed her arms over her chest and gave you a curious look. “The one who _owns this place?”_

_Fuck, what?_

_Levi owns the bar?_

Well, he was always the one to close the place.

_Wait, fuck._

_He’s Mikasa’s cousin?_

That kinda made sense, at some point. He looked like Mikasa to some extent, same cheekbones and the same cold stare. _God,_ now that you learned that new piece of information, things started to fit together more and more.

But the real question was, _where is Levi?_

“So it’s Levi then” Sasha pointed out, seeping on her beer while Hange came with the shots and placed them on the table with an excited screech.

“ _What are we celebrating?”_ They clapped happily, looking between you.

[…]

It started playing some Akon song when you guys downed your fifth shot for the night. Sasha was on her third plate of hot wings, stuffing her face while sauce accumulated on the sides of her mouth. Annie had that blush around her cheeks and was playing with a straw she put on her beer mug, twirling it around her fingers and humming to the rhythm of the music. Mikasa didn’t seem drunk at all to the naked eye, but the way she giggled from time to time was a signal that the alcohol was getting through.

You stopped looking a long time ago, knowing that Levi wasn’t around and wallowing in your misery wouldn’t do you any favors — you just hated that you had dressed at the thought of him being there.

The bar was already emptying, the buzz of conversations dissipating as you gulped the rest of your mug, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“Ah, there is my favorite client” you heard a voice approaching, turning right away to see where it was coming from only to find Jean already folding his black apron. “Ohh, Annie, you’re also here. Haven’t seen you since… chem? Still mad I cheated from you?”

The blonde rolled her eyes and sipped on her beer. “You’re lucky I didn’t snitch.”

“Don’t be like that” he smiled as he scooped closer to you, resting an arm around your shoulders. “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your other friends, (y/n)?”

“That’s Mikasa and that’s Sasha” you pointed at them and they gave small waves.

“It’s my birthday!” The ponytail girl exclaimed, giving him a small full of sauce. “Put some wings on the house!”

“That’s not how it works” Jean smiled shyly, turning his attention on you. “Unless…”

The girls did the same, all staring between you two in confusion.

“Unless _what?!”_ You frowned, pushing the empty mug forward.

“We can put it on lover boy’s tab. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind” the ash blond man gave you a little jab with his elbow and a shake of brows.

You blushed profusely. _What?_

“Oh! You mean Mikasa’s cousin?” Sasha put a finger under her chin, looking as if she was thinking hard. “What’s his name again?”

“ARE WE TALKING ABOUT LEVI?” you heard a scream coming from the counters and all your heads turned at once.

Hange jumped over the wooden surface and rushed to your table, putting both their hands in front of your group.

“I heard… _oof”_ putting a hand to their chest, they exhaled loudly, rubbing a droplet of sweat from their forehead as they scooted closer to Mikasa’s side, earning a confused look from the girl, “I heard we were talking about Levi.”

“Hey! It’s my birthday!” Sasha cleaned her hands with some napkins and pushed the small, stained bowl in front of the new bartender. “What about some wings on the house?”

Everyone gave the girl a quick glance.

“Oh, oh, oh! Jean!” Hange threw their hands in the air. “Is she _the_ girl?”

“Huh?” You frowned, feeling blush creep onto your cheeks as small chills ran over your body.

“Shouldn’t you guys be working?” Annie asked and they shuddered their shoulders at the same moment it was almost comical. “Hm.”

“What do you mean ‘the girl’”? Mikasa played with the rim of her mug, biting her lip as she seemed to try to understand the situation.

“Jean’s been telling me _things”_ the other bartender wiggled their brows at you teasingly.

“What’s even there to tell?” You now shifted in place, feeling annoyed. “God, he’s been a friend to me lately, what else?”

The ash blond licked his teeth and leaned over you, arm grabbing you closer to his body as he pointed at your nose.

“Makes sense, but at the same time, you’re the only girl Levi has been hanging around since he—”

With a hard slap on the mouth, Hange shut Jean before he _could_ say anything else.

“JEAN!” they screeched, looking distressed. “ _Not_ your story to tell.”

With that, they stood from the booth and grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt, giving you girls a big smile.

“We are closing in 20, I’ll bring another round of beer for you.”

“Wait!” Sasha stopped them and stood from the table; eyes desperate as the remaining people hanging around the bar. “What about the wings on the house?!”

Soon, you were finished celebrating, going over gossip and laughing about nostalgic moments you had spent together earlier in life, and cringing over some other memories, like when you hooked up with Reiner once, or how Mikasa used to fawn over Eren to the point she would even do his homework without asking twice.

After the last round, you split the bill and sang a short ‘happy birthday’ to the brunette that was kind of bummed because she didn’t get her so desired hot wings, and then everyone started to call their rides. Mikasa was sharing an uber with Annie since Armin must’ve been sleeping at the time and Sasha called Niccolo, since they still had to celebrate, she said — you had a feeling that he would have to cook another dish for her to compensate for the wings.

“Are you coming?” Mikasa asked you, tugging on her red scarf as she gathered her stuff from the table.

“No, I gotta go through my tab with Jean” you told them as they were standing, clearly flushed from the drinks. “You guys go, I’ll see you back on Sunday for brunch.”

Annie and Mikasa gave you another look to confirm if you were really staying behind and you just nodded with a small smile while Sasha ran to her boyfriend as he entered the bar, almost dropping him to the floor.

You were sure to stay, now feeling more sober since you didn’t drink as much as usual, still not over the hangover from last time — you became too intimate with your toilet.

“Take care” Annie pointed her chin at you, turning to leave.

Now there were only you and the last two bartenders present. Hange was cleaning some things while Jean yawned, looking half-dead as he threw some old peanuts in the trash. You walked there and sat on the small stool, giving them both a short grin.

“You’re still here? Jesus, woman, just go home” Jean snapped and Hange threw a rag at him.

“Don’t talk to her like that” they grabbed the rag from the floor and washed it on the sink before returning to their chores. “(y/n), is it?”

You nodded and they leaned back on the counter, too close to comfort.

“So, tell me. What’s your secret?” They whispered the last part, covering their mouth with the back of their hand as Jean rolled his eyes.

Leaning back from the fixated stare, you gave them an awkward smile, knowing exactly where the conversation would lead once more. The jukebox now played Bennie and The Jets as you tried to think of something to run away from the interrogatory.

“Are you being paid to work or to harass clients?” A familiar voice came from behind you, making you thank whatever god was above.

Hange and Jean rose their eyes and exchanged the same looks from the beginning of the night, making your whole body flush with the sudden heat. You tried to focus on anything else, too scared to turn away and find those grey eyes that you wanted so much to get lost inside; the same skin you once touched and felt under fingertips; the same hair that would tickle those thin eyebrows and complement the intense stare he always had stamped on his face, the—

“It’s 4AM, why are you still here?” He asked, now you felt the presence of his body behind yours and you were trapped. There was nowhere else to run.

Slowly turning on the stool, you licked your lips and rose your eyes, now gazing back at him, trying hard not to focus too much, knowing there was a possibility of a blush sneaking if you ever so slightly let your guard down.

Levi’s figure always surprised you. He had this big and strong aura going for him, even though he was about the same height as you; still, he was nothing short of muscles. The white shirt he was wearing hugged every inch of his skin so nicely it made your eyes wander around, trying to map out each of his muscles. His hair looked kind of wet, as if he had just gotten out of the shower and the slight scent of his cologne lingered around, and you took in every second of it to enjoy.

“Don’t you get tired of getting drunk?” He asked, raising a brow.

You felt a wave of heat running through your veins, but now with anger. Sure, you were buzzed, but not enough to be considered drunk anymore. You drank enough water for the past hours to be almost completely sober.

“I’m not even drunk right now” you snapped, turning back to the counter as the man scoffed behind you.

Jean threw a rag to the sink right in front of you and leaned between his arms, letting out a big yawn. “Ah! Finally done”

“Same here” Hange noted, taking off their apron and folding it, going to the backroom, Jean following right after.

It became deadly silent after the heavy door closed behind the bartenders. You could only hear yours and Levi’s breaths as he walked to the bar, crossing the counter and you did your best to avoid looking too much.

“You are dressed up” the man made a remark and you looked down at your clothes, adjusting your skirt as you sat.

“It was my friend’s birthday” you replied, tilting your head up just so you could be on eye level.

“What made you want to celebrate it in this shithole?” He furrowed his brows, leaning back onto the liquor shelves.

Levi never hid the fact that he didn’t seem to like the place. It made sense before, since you thought he was only an employee, but now that you learned that he owned the bar, things didn’t quite fit in.

“It’s a nice shithole” you said as you crossed your arms over the counter.

He kept his arms crossed for a while; eyes focused on your figure as if he were challenging you. Without any new expression, the man leaned down to the lower cabinets and grabbed an electric kettle, filling it with the sink water as you watched.

“You never told me you owned the place” you licked your lips as he started to heat the water.

Levi’s hands worked in the cabinet once more, grabbing a tea box and putting it right in front of you, and then searched for two porcelain cups that were just a little chipped around the rim, placing them next to each other and a teabag inside.

“You never asked.”

You watched as he grabbed two silver spoons and filled the cups with the now heated water.

“It’s usually something you don’t miss, you know?” Rolling your sweater sleeves up your elbows, you crossed your arms in front of your chest as the man put the small spoon inside a cup, pushing it towards you. “Normally, people would go like ‘hey, I own the place, drinks on the house.”

“You almost always drink for free” he furrowed his brows as he dabbed the teabag inside the cup a few times.

“That’s not the point.”

Hange’s face appeared from the creek of the backdoor, looking at you both who were now alarmed by the sound of the heavy metal.

“Leviiiii, just letting you know we are leaving” they said and the man just flicked his wrist as a goodbye, shooing them.

The man didn’t turn around, and you thanked profusely, because the look Hange were giving you was too creepy for him to see. They held both thumbs up and smiled before leaving.

Now that you were sure that you two were the only ones present in the whole establishment, you could feel your stomach turn inwards, anxiety taking over and nerves flowing through your bloodline. The man in front of you brought the teacup to his lips, sipping slowly and you noticed the way he held it by the rim. _Funny._

“Why are we drinking tea?” You asked, looking at the clock only to see it was 4:43AM, and Levi didn’t look like he had any sleep.

He just stared at you through his hand, lowering the cup just a little for him to speak: “Because I felt like drinking tea.”

The commanding tone of his made chills run down your spine. You knew for sure you were blushing now, so you decided to grab the teacup to hide your face behind it, sipping slowly on the minty taste.

“You look nice” he said, taking you by surprise.

Your fingers _suddenly_ felt numb. _Fuck._ Before you knew it, it was too late, and the cup was now a splatter of pieces on the counter. The liquid now stained your sweater in a wet spot, the hot tea burning the places where it hit your naked skin.

“ _Fuck”_ you let out a hiss. “Fuck, fuck, fuck”

Levi put down his own cup and a little panic showed on his face.

“Take the sweater off” he ordered, grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket and putting it under the sink, drenching it in cold water.

“ _W-What?”_ You looked up, skin still aching from the burn and now his choice of words added extra heat to your whole body.

“ _Jesus,_ you just fucking burned yourself” he said, jumping to the other side of the counter and showing you the handkerchief.

_Not the time to think,_ you sighed as you took your sweater off, placing it on your side, leaving your dark bra exposed.

You tried covering yourself, knowing the situation was awkward enough already for you to care too much about it. _You are an adult, he’s an adult, stop acting like a horny teenager,_ you thought to yourself as he offered you one of his hands.

Staring for a little longer, he let out a ‘ _tch’_ and rolled his eyes. “Give me your hand.”

You followed his command and slid your fingers into his palm, feeling the warmth envelop you, even if the source was from a small part of your body. He held your hand and brought you closer, analyzing the positions before he could start working on your burns.

“Sit on the counter” he ordered again and once more, you followed.

Adjusting yourself on the cold surface, you gave your arm to him and felt his fingers slide along your skin, warm fingertips touching where the droplets of boiling water hit before, and a little flinch escaped from you whenever he found a new spot. He looked up, as if to see if everything was alright and you gave him a small smile, shaking your head.

“It’s not that bad” you affirmed and he furrowed his brows, lowering his gaze once more.

“That’s because of the alcohol” the man started dabbing the cold fabric carefully, watching every little movement of yours as he did. “Tomorrow, this thing is gonna hurt like a bitch.”

You chuckled at his remark as he held your hand closer to his chest, putting it above your knees in a position where it wouldn’t hurt to stay still. You took a moment to admire his marked features, watching every little move of his and wondering about those eyes, glad that they were focused on you.

Although Levi held this harsh front, he really seemed to care behind those big walls, and that was enough for you to fall.

“Sorry about your cup” you apologized, almost in a mutter, feeling shame crawl under your skin once more.

“It’s a stupid cup” he said, still working on your skin. “I can just get another one.”

“Still, let me pay for it” pursing your lips, you felt his grip on your wrist tighten just a little.

“That’s dumb.”

You sighed, “I keep giving you trouble, I want to make it up for you.”

He stopped the dabbing, looking up to find your piercing gaze already on his. Eyes shining under the dim lighting and silent surrounding you two.

“You’re not paying for the fucking cup” he rose his brow, staring deep into your soul, and now you were scared that he would learn all your secrets.

“I’m serious, Levi” you persisted. “I didn’t even thank you for taking me home the other day.”

“It’s fine” he stuck to his argument, but you also did the same to yours.

“ _No,_ it’s not. Must’ve been really annoying.”

“You were annoying, indeed” he let out and you playfully rolled your eyes.

“Sure… but thank you, for… you know—taking me back to my apartment.”

You remember waking up the next morning to a box of Advil sitting on your bedside table, next to a big bottle of water and how warm your chest felt to feel like someone was caringly enough to do that for you. Even for someone who you’d recently just met.

“Stop with this sappy shit and let me work” he rolled his eyes and went back to dabbing the wet cloth on your skin, “you’re gonna get nasty scars if I don’t take care of them.”

Smiling to yourself, you straightened your arm again allowing him the full access to your skin and the man went back to his previous actions. The dawn was beginning to clear and sneak between the blinds, filling the whole place with clarity, and none of you felt tired, engulfing in each other’s company.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you guys enjoy. I know it's been taking longer than usual for them to develop feelings but I like slow burns

“How are you getting home?” The man in front of you asked, eyes glancing at you from a certain distance and between messy, dark bangs.

You put down your glass of water since Levi decided that you had an alcohol problem and pushed your notebooks aside, looking up from all your splattered notes and the glowing light of your laptop in front of you.

“Probably taking the bus” you said, a little yawn left your mouth. “Why? Are you worried about me?”

Levi rolled his eyes and turned around, lining the liquor bottles, “There are no buses available right now. It’s past midnight.”

You frowned and looked at the small digital clock at the bottom of your screen, checking to see it was already 00:32AM, and your studying took a lot longer than you thought.

For the past week, you’ve been hanging around the bar, in Levi’s presence for as long as you could. It was like a silent agreement between you two, that you were having some kind of weird caring relationship where he would be around you and you around him, even if you two were in complete silence, just to enjoy each other. Jean and Hange would always give you the eyes, but you would just shrug it off and pretend you didn’t notice; you liked your evenings a lot better now.

Since you had been taking a few extra classes, you’d been coming a lot later to the bar, not even drinking as much as before since the man refused to feed your wishes, serving you iced tea — even when he was _heavily against_ making it cold — or just water. Hange always made you some fries (a little burnt but you pretended not to notice) and Jean would sit down and nap on your shoulder while you worked whenever things were slow around.

Tonight you were working on an essay you already finished but wanted to have a second opinion coming from Levi. You learned he had an English degree and a lot of other stuff you never thought of him. He was a very private guy, and you liked that about him, but the past month you’d been learning little things each day that passed; how he was obsessed with tea blends — you saw the bunch of recipes screenshots he had in his gallery, asides from the occasional random accidental opening-the-camera types of pictures.

You also learned he was pretty close with Hange and some guy named Erwin that would give him a few calls from time to time that he didn’t react a lot to, but he seemed important to him. He had a sister, you learned from Hange and they showed you a picture of her; her name was Isabel and she was adopted, but Levi loved her more than anything.

There were other things you just liked to observe; like how he was a clean freak, always checking for spots Jean might’ve missed (he always did) and making him clean it all over again. He also scratched his wrists quite a lot, thumped his fingers on any surfaces, had some kind of interest in old jazz and twitched his lips to avoid unwanted expressions.

“Didn’t realize it was that time already” you closed the laptop and started to gather your things into your cross bag, looking around to find any stuff you’ve missed. “I’ll just call an uber then.”

“I’ll drive you” he said, turning around to find you staring already. “I’m closing already.

It wasn’t that weird anymore. He had been giving you rides way too often, so you just nodded and finished organizing your things.

“I’ll help you” you said, standing up and throwing the bag over your head.

“Just wait by the door, I’m finishing here.”

You nodded again and walked to the back of the empty bar. Jean and Hange weren’t working at all since it was Monday, and you were glad you didn’t have classes tomorrow, so you could sleep in a little longer. After a few minutes, Levi appeared from the door and threw his apron in a washing bin, cleaning his hands with his infamous handkerchief.

Walking silently to his car, you helped yourself in and waited for him as you stretched, feeling the creeping pain up your spine from your shitty posture while studying. The man appeared soon enough and you two drove silently back to your apartment, surrounded only by the cars from afar and the soft 80’s jazz CD Levi had on repeat every goddamn time.

It had become routine for you, everything was pretty much the same every day. You went to the bar, did anything you felt like doing, ordered something to eat, heard Levi’s complaints about your bad eating habits, had Levi drive you back home and went to sleep.

What you didn’t expect was to find your ex-boyfriend drunk off his ass on your front door.

Levi had accompanied you as he always did, and his surprise was just as much as yours, standing behind you protectively — that would make you blush if it weren’t for your fury over the situation.

Let me tell you something about Zeke Jaeger; the man is a _cheating-immature-fucking asshole_.

You’d met him through Eren, since they are stepbrothers. It was at a friendsgiving at Sasha’s, and he came along because he had nowhere else to be, at the time he claimed it was because his friends were all traveling; but later you learned that it was a normal occurrence for him to be left out of things. He always caused some kind of scene. He was the kind of guy to stir drama because he liked to get political, always prancing around like he was superior to everyone and anyone.

How you stuck around for so long? _Who knows._

He _was_ somewhat good in bed and he had his moments.

But to find him now half-asleep in front of your door, an empty beer bottle sitting right next to him… _the fucking audacity._

“(y/n)?” He called, stumbling on his feet to stand and failing, having to rest his hand on your shoulder as he tried to get closer.

You took a step back and you could smell the booze coming out of his pores, nauseating you more than his presence. You felt Levi’s chest against your back and how rigid his posture was from where he was standing, and Zeke’s eyes darkened from the sight.

“W-who’s this guy?” He frowned, hands wiping his dirty beard and retracting his hand knowing full well you rejected his actions.

“Gosh, Zeke, what the fuck are you doing here?” Your hand clutched to the strap of your bag, pretty much annoyed.

_I just wanted to take a nice hot shower and sleep while watching some cheesy reality show…_

“I came to see you…” his words sounded pretty lazy falling off his mouth as he tried to lean on the wall. “I hoped we could, _hm,_ talk or something… but you are _busy.”_

“It’s been over a month, Zeke. You gotta get over it” you pinched the bridge of your nose, pretty much annoyed. “Please, just leave.”

The man pushed you to the side and pointed his finger at Levi. The sudden move made you gasp and you saw grey eyes fill with anger as he completely ignored the other man in front of you, holding your arm to prevent you from a nasty fall.

Zeke never showed aggression before, but this side of him was always there. You remember every night he would step into your space and be too close, or just throw you around like a ragdoll at times, but never came to this point, where he seemed like he wanted to punch your face. It was pretty scary, and it made you very anxious to be around him.

“We _barely_ broke up and you are already jumping on a midget’s dick?” The blonde spat, coming too close to your comfort.

“ _Step back”_ Levi interfered, his tone harsh and dry, making the vibration of his voice run through your spine as a chill. You’d never seen him that mad before, it was quite scary to watch.

Zeke didn’t listen and kept on walking towards you, until Levi had to physically restrain him. One second, the drunken man was in front of your eyes, the second, he was on the floor, hands behind his back as the shorter one crouched, holding his wrists in a tight grip, a knee on his lower abdomen to hold him firmly, even when he didn’t need a lot of force since he was pretty much out of it.

“ _Leave._ I’m not saying it again” Levi leaned into the man’s ear and ordered, earning an ugly look from the other.

“Just go, Zeke” you crossed your arms, watching the raven-haired man letting go of his grip, giving the man a small kick to his side. “I have nothing to talk to you.”

“ _H-how could you_ just throw everything away?” He was now sobbing, it was comical.

“Oh, right, I was the one who slept with some random girl in my _own_ bed.”

“I told you it was a mistake!” He was on his knees now and his head was held low. “You gotta forgive me…”

“You’re making a fool out of yourself” you said, shaking your head. “Just go.”

Levi went back to your side, arms crossed and gaze cold on the other man.

“That’s your fucking problem” Zeke stood, but now keeping his distance “, you’re always on your fucking high horse. You’re dumb as a rock and you think you’re some special shit. You’re _not._ You are just _annoying_ as shit.”

He let out a chuckle and turned around.

“Whatever. Even some random girl was better than you ever were” with that, he left, stumbling on the stairs.

You hated to admit, but his words did sting. You had this bad habit of taking things to heart, and coming from Zeke it was no exception.

“ _Asshole”_ Levi let out under his breath.

Letting out a loud sigh, you searched for your keys inside your bag, feeling your hands trembling and your sight was now blurry. _Wha—_

“Hey” Levi called, you looked up and with a blink, you felt tears rolling down your cheeks. _You were crying?_ He seemed to notice, because his usually cold eyes now held some kind of guilt into them. “Are you okay?”

“Yea, yea” you shook your head and gave him a reassuring smile while you wiped your face with the sleeves of your hoodie. “Zeke’s just a dick.”

He didn’t buy your excuse, still standing still in front of you and hands inside his pockets, twitching as if he wanted to move them around. You heard him click his tongue and look away for a second.

“He looks like he does coffee tasting for a living” Levi said out of nowhere and you couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Soon, everything about the whole situation sounded too funny in your head and you started to laugh hysterically, earning a look of disdain coming from the man by your side, but he didn’t comply. The laugh soon turned into crying, your hands flying to your face to rub the tears away and hide the redness of your cheeks, but it was for nothing.

You had no control over your body anymore, standing in front of your door and feeling the incessant crying running down like waterfalls, and soon, your words just fell out of your mouth to make the situation even better.

“ _C-Can you stay? Just for a while?”_ You asked, regretting immediately.

Levi and you weren’t that kind of friends. You were just two people who enjoyed each other but had no kind of relationship whatsoever, and now you were asking for him to be there for you, when it wasn’t his job at all. It wasn’t his role to fill. He shouldn’t even had seen you crying, or the situation beforehand, and now looking back, he did seem pretty uncomfortable in that position. _How could you just ask for something like—_

“Yes.”

You looked up, almost shocked.

“You don’t have to, I just—”

“It’s fine.”

Licking your lips, you gave him a small smile and unlocked your door, revealing your small apartment, leading him in as you turned the lights on. Your heart was thumping loudly inside your chest as you watched the man analyzing every inch, every corner and everything around him. _Is it clean enough? Are things in place? Did I leave any underwear thrown around?_

“Cozy” he noted, turning around and standing in front of the kitchen island, looking directly into your eyes.

“I… I might have some tea” you shook your head, leaving your thoughts by themselves for a while, walking around him and searching through the cabinets. Before you could open another door, the man grabbed your wrist, stopping your actions instantly.

Looking to your side, you found Levi’s calm eyes, feeling another wave of heat flow through your body.

“Leave it to me” he just said and you nodded. You were pretty much shaken up to overthink at the moment.

Letting out a small sigh, you put your arms down and he let go of your wrist, the silence comfortably sneaking in and making room for the warmth that surrounded you two. You nodded once more and left the kitchen area, going to your couch and sitting on the corner, grabbing the knit throw blanket and wrapping it around your body under the dim light.

You were pretty confident you wouldn’t let Zeke’s words get too deep, you were also pretty confident you wouldn’t mind seeing him again, but the impact was bigger than you expected. Now you were pretty sure you would get over it in a day or two, but you could wallow in your pain for a little, _right?_

Noticing a movement from the corner of your eye, you turned your head to find Levi setting two different mugs on top of your coffee table, searching for something he could use as a coaster, but failing miserably. It was one of those ‘ _damn-bitch-you-live-like-this_ ’ situations, but then he just settled for not using anything, which clearly made him uncomfortable.

“Don’t look so annoyed” you said, frowning playfully.

He rolled his eyes and sipped on his tea. “You don’t even have matching things.”

“They’re too expensive” you grabbed your own mug and took a small sip, careful not to burn your lips. “You have a thing for minty tea?”

“It’s pretty neutral” he answered quickly and kept on drinking.

You two fell in silence again, making you shift in place a few times. Levi was leaning forwards, elbows on his knees and looking at his shoes while holding the mug by the rim. It was astounding to you how effortlessly beautiful he was. He could be doing anything and you would still pay to watch just how delicate he handled things, how his fingers touched the glasses, how his skilled hands cleaned around the bar, how his brows twitched when he seemed to be deep in thought… the list was endless.

“Lost something on my face?” He teased and you felt heat creeping on your cheeks from being caught staring.

Rolling your eyes, you buried your face on your mug, sipping for a little longer. “Mind your tea.”

“I am” he replied, giving you a side glance.

“Good” you held the blanket ends together, feeling a little chill creeping into your apartment from the cracks of the windows.

Levi seemed to notice, because he stood and closed the curtains, now holding his own body as he came back to the couch. _How dumb of me,_ you thought as you caught on; he was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt while the breeze seemed to get colder and colder, making your apartment a bit too chilly.

“Come closer” you offered, opening one of your blanket wings to welcome him in.

“No way” he refused as he grabbed the mug from the coffee table, sipping slowly again.

“C’mon, you’re freezing!”

“I’m not.”

“ _Levi”_ you lowered your tone, now being a bit more adamant about it.

The man gave you a look and you made your expression even more serious, letting him know that you weren’t backing down. Sighing, he just gave in and scooched closer, watching as you put the other end of the blanket around his shoulders, arms barely brushing, but enough to make every hair on your body. Shyness came over you and you looked away from his piercing gaze.

You brought your knees closer to your chest, feeling warmer now that he was closer.

“Sorry you had to witness that” you pursed your lips together, avoiding eye contact, but you could see from the corner of your eye that he was gazing at you.

“Happens.”

“Not really” you added, letting out a dry laugh at yourself. “I’m just over it. He thinks he can walk all over me and… I’m tired.”

Levi kept his gaze on you as you lowered your face, holding your knees tighter as you rested your chin on top of them. After a while into silence, you felt something on one of your hands, looking down to see slim fingers sliding on top of yours, making your chest swell and heart ache. You now turned your face so you could look at him, and his own face was avoiding you.

You assumed that was out of his comfort zone, because from watching him over a month, you learned that Levi wasn’t a people’s person. He wasn’t really touchy or _warm,_ he didn’t even have an inviting face, but you still found a way to sneak into his life. But holding your hand? That was huge.

So you started to interlace your fingers with him, feeling how cold they were and wrapping your palms together. The sensation was new, and gave your belly a funny feeling as you adjusted your position, laying both hands on top of the couch cushion. There were just the two of you that moment, the silence being the only uninvited guest as both hearts thumped louder than ever, louder than your ears were able to capture. You tried to hid your smile behind your knees, avoiding his gaze at all costs.


End file.
